Please give me advices

[google2007]

Hello folks!

Today I went in to a dealership in Dallas, TX. They had four Priuses in the lot. All of them had a leather upgrade and other options such as extra mile option package ($1,097), shield package ($ 349), Xm radio package ($ 449), and etc. Consequently, all of them in the lot were at least over $ 27,000 because of those options ($2,000).
So, the one I specifically looked at was a base model ($ 22, 8??) + package #3 ($2,105) +leather upgrade ($1,349)+extra mile option ($1,097), shield (& 349)+ Xm ($ 499)+ destination charge ($ 710)= total $ 28, 9??.
I asked a dealer that I did not need extra mile option, shiled, and xm radio, but he said that even they had no choice. He told me that they had to receive whatever their distributor allocates.

Therefore, if I really wanted to buy one there, I had to choose one of them that all had the extra expensive, unnecessary options including extra mile option ($ 1,097), shield package ($349), Xm radio receiver ($499) - so I have to pay the extra $ 2,000 for what I don't really want.


So, do you think that they were true (even they had no choice)?
and would it be ok to purchase such a Prius with unnecessary options?

I really need your wise advices, Guys.

Thank you in advance.

[Godiva]

Texas dealers specify added crap at port to make money.

You can order one without crap but you'll have a long wait.

Personally? I'd go out of state, get the car I wanted at the price I wanted without the extra crap and I'd have a nice, long enjoyable drive back in my new Prius.

[Lveh8lve]

Check out toyota.com or edmunds.com. They will have several dealers give you quotes. For that price, you might as well get a package 6, it's the same price. This is just another example of the price gouging by dealers. In the end it's your money, but if you want to give a stranger $2000 of your money for stuff you don't need - you can send me the 2k and I'm sure i have some crpa laying around my house I can send you

[Bolinas]

I tried Edmunds but I ended up going to Ira in Danvers MA. I ordered an 08 base model Prius yesterday from Ira. The dealer would not confirm the price excpet to state that when the car comes in I would pay MSRP. I put a deposit down (fully refundable, written into the contract). However, I am now wondering why I purchased a car without a confirmed price.
When I was at the Ira dealer they said the current MSRP for a base model Prius (without any options at all) was $21,600. But they would not guarantee that price b/c they said Toyota won't give them a quote on the car until it is built. Does this sound correct ?? It sounds crazy to me, and I would have walked out and tried another place but I made them write on the contract that the deposit was 100% refundable.
The other dealer I had been working with was even more confusing....Herb Chambers of Boston gives me increasing prices every week... (last week base model MSRP was $21,900 and this week it is $22,800 quote from the exact same guy).
Is it standard practice not to be given a firm price when ordering a Prius?
If not, can anyone recommend a good Toyota dealer in the Boston area?

[sorka]

In addition to MSRP + options pricing info being on public websites like edmunds and kbb, the window sticker, which they are required to display on the vehicle will also have the the MSRP on it.

The standard practice is to provide you a written "out the door price" based on current MSRP spelling out all fees and taxes up front. This sets the stage for mutual understanding.

The dealer will either guarantee your price when you secure your order with a deposit(the most common practice) even if the price were to increase

or

The dealer will tell you in the contract that the price is subject to change if their price changes.
In that latter, if for some reason the destination charge increases, like it just did, the dealer will charge you the difference. If MSRP goes up by $400, the dealer will charge you the difference of MSRP plus the difference on the sales tax if there is sales tax.

The point is that if your dealer is honest, they will provide full pricing terms up front and in writing even if there are legitimate reasons why the price might change later on, but those reasons will be spelled out in the contract.

If you don't have all of this above, you don't have an agreement even if you've left a deposit.

[kazots]

It sounds pretty shifty to me. I can imagine the car coming in with a higher price and giving you a "take it or leave it" option. The salesperson probably thinks you will buy it because you waited that long.

[doubleg2005]

i would recommend going to state with no sales tax (i think new hampshire and oregon and maybe a few others? a your-name-search would turn up the right info) and getting what you want there. then, when you register it in Texas you'll have the car you want without all the extra stuff and won't have to pay double taxes...

in the end, you'll probably pay about as much in taxes as what you're saving, but think about having to pay taxes on the thousands of dollars worth of extras!

[SD PriusProductConsultant]

I'm a product consultant at a very reputable Toyota dealership in SD. It may appear shady that we won't quote you an exact price at the time you put down your deposit, but ever since we misplaced our crystal ball we've had a little trouble seeing into the future. Toyota can and occassionally does raise their MSRP pricing due to global economic & market conditions. (i.e. $60 bump on destination charges for all vehicles just this last week applied to all new incoming vehicles due to increased gas prices, and $400 bump on Prius MSRPs about 1.5-2 months ago due to dollar:yen value adjustment) We can't have any way of knowing what the car will cost until Toyota tells us. That usually happens after the car is built or is on it's way over from Japan or one of the N.American factories. The dealership i work for is one of the only dealerships in the SD region that doesn't charge over MSRP for a Prius. Because we sell them for MSRP, we have to be cautious about how the dposit contract reads. We state that the car's sale price is MSRP (meaning what ever the window sticker's MSRP is when the car comes in). We'll definitely go over the numbers with you before taking the deposit, but keep in mind that they're only hypothetical #s and only presented to you so that you have a basic idea of what the car will cost after tax, title & license. Because we give the buyer only 24 hrs to claim their car, once it has arrived to the dealership, this will help the buyer get an idea of what they need to do to get their finances/financing in order prior to the arrival and purchase of their vehicle. Keep in mind that despite the reputation of the auto industry on the whole, not every dealership is super shady and run by evil greedy monsters. But keep in mind that they ARE all businesses and while some are run more honestly than others, they all have to protect their interests and bottom lines. I agree that it's total BS what some dealerships are doing as far as jacking up the prices with unwanted add-ons and ridiculous markups. I'm just lucky to be working for the dealer with, by far, the largest monthly allocation of new Prius in the SD. With at least 70 to 100+ new incoming Priuses each month we don't need to rip people off. Besides, it doesn't equate to a lot of repeat business. If you live in SoCal and are looking for a Prius or know somebody looking for one, you should check out my add on Craigslist. Hint:ANY NEW 2008 PRIUS OF YOUR CHOICE for MSRP!!!!